Chapter 6 NONVERBAL MESSAGES

it's a whole new week, a fabulous new day and of course an awesome new chapter! ◕‿ ◕

 But before we begin, let us take a few moment of peace and just enjoy life for a second. Just breath in and out. Try to observe the people around you. Observe their gesture, their smile when talking to others, the way they make eye contact or how different people look at other people and of course their facial expression when having a conversation.

REMINDER! We are just OBSERVING, not STALKING yaa -.-

 Okay, now. Feeling great? Let us begin our new chapter which is about Nonverbal Message. Actually, without realizing, we have been using this type of communication in our everyday life. In fact, we are exchanging nonverbal message as you read this blog post. But what does Nonverbal Message actually mean?

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INTRODUCTION

 Nonverbal Message is a communication without words. It is a form of communication where you exchange messages with the other person without saying a single word and basically involve all the basic human sense.

perhaps you would like to know how good you are at observing and interpreting nonverbal message accurately. You can do so by taking a mini test regarding Nonverbal Messages on this link ; 

GreaterGoodQuiz1

FUNCTIONS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

 Although nonverbal communication is almost similar and serves the same function as verbal communication, there are several specific functions in which nonverbal messages are especially significant. Let's go through one by one ehhh.  (◕‿<)

✓ Integrating with verbal message

When communicating face-to-face, you blend verbal and nonverbal messages to best transmit your meanings.

Accent	☼ give emphasis some part of the verbal message. ☼ EX: you might rise your voice to stress a particular word or phrase, for this example is when saying ‘I love you’.
Complement	☼ add nuances of meaning to a verbal message. ☼ EX: smile when telling a story (to suggest that you might find it humorous).
Contradict	☼ contradict the verbal message. ☼ EX: you might cross your fingers or wink to indicate that you are lying.
Regulate	☼ control the flow of verbal messages. ☼ EX: you might put up your hands to indicate that you are not finish talking.
Repeat	☼ repeat or restate the verbal message nonverbally. ☼ EX: follow your verbal “Is that all right?” with raised brow and a questioning look.
Substitute	☼ substitute the place of verbal message. ☼ EX: you can signal “OK” with a hand gesture.

✓ Forming and Managing Impressions
 Based on a person's body size, skin color, style of dress, eye contact and facial expressions, you form an impression - you judge who the person is and what the person is like.

To be liked	❀ you might smile or pat someone on the back and shake hands warmly.
To be believe	❀ you might use focused eye contact, a firm stance and open gesture
To excuse failure	❀ you might look sad cover your face with your hands
To secure help	❀ you might use open hand gestures, a puzzled look and inept movements to indicate that you are helpless
To hide faults	❀ you might avoid self-adaptors
To be followed	❀ you might put your diploma or awards where others can see them
To confirm self-image	❀ you might dress in certain ways or decorate you apartment with things that reflect your personality

✓ Defining Relationship
 Much of your relationship life is lived nonverbally. For example you communicate affection, support, and love partly by nonverbal communication.
 You also use signals to communicate the nature of your relationship to another person. These signals are called "Tie Signs" because it indicates the ways in which your relationship is tied together.


✓ Structuring Conversation
 You give and receive CUES that you are ready to speak, listen or comment when you are in a conversation.
 These turn taking cues may be verbal. For example, as when you say, "What do you think?". But most often they are NONVERBAL. For example, you nod your head signals that you are ready to give up your speaking turn.


✓ Influencing and Deceiving
 Sometimes, nonverbal communication may be deceiving--lie, and can influence others into adopting your beliefs and ideas.
 One of the most common example of nonverbal deception is your eyes and facial expression. For example, eye winks.

Winking may be interpret as to affirm statement, but also can be misinterpreted as to cover a lie.

✓ Express Emotion

 Nonverbal expression communicate a great part of your emotional experience. You may reveal your level of happiness, sadness or confusion largely through your facial expression. For example, when you receive a really good news regarding your academic achievement, you will express happiness through your expression.

 You may also reveal your feelings by postures. For example, just by your gesture, eye movement and even dilation of pupils can show whether you are tense or relax.

 Now, did you guys know that we have several CHANNELS in communicate nonverbally? What? you don't? Or you just don't even realize it. Yahhh I don't either, at first. But it's okay. We are here to learn anyway :D Lets go through our next subtopic, which is about..yes you guess it, The Channels of Nonverbal Communication.

The Channels of Nonverbal Communication

๑ Body Communication

There are FIVE categories of body movements.

1. Emblems - Nonverbal behaviors that directly translate words or phrases. EX : Thumbs up
2. Illustrators - Nonverbal behavior that accompany and literally "illustrate" verbal messages. EX : showing two fingers to inform that you will be back in two minutes
3. Affect Display - Nonverbal movements that communicate emotional meaning. EX : Smiling
4. Regulators - Nonverbal movement that coordinate, monitor, maintain or control the speaking of another individual.
5. Adaptors - Nonverbal behaviors that are emitted without conscious awareness and that usually serve some kind of need. EX : Scratching and itch 

General body appearance influences how you communicate and how others communicate with you.

๑ Facial Communication

 Facial movements may communicate a variety of emotions. The most frequently studied are happiness, surprise, fear, anger, sadness, disgust and contempt.

 Facial management techniques enable you to control the extent to which you reveal your own emotions.

Intensifying	Exaggerating surprise when friends throw you a party
Deintensifying	Covering up your joy over some good news when a friend has bad news to relate
Neutralizing	Covering up sadness as not to depress others
Masking	Expressing happiness when you are actually disappointed
Stimulating	Expressing emotions you don't really feel

๑ Eye Communication

 Through eye contact, you may seek

1. Feedback
2. Signal others to speak
3. Indicate the nature of relationship
4. Compensate for increased physical distance

Eye Avoidance may help you avoid prying or may signal lack of interest.

> Pupil enlargement shows a person's level of interest and positive emotional arousal.

๑ Space Communication

 Proxemics is the study of the communicative functions space and spatial relationships.

 There are FOUR major proxemics distance.

1. Intimate Distance - (0 inches to 18 inches) ; for comforting and protecting
2. Personal - (18 inches to 4 feet) ; the protecting bubble most people keep around them & keeps you protected and untouched by others.
3. Social - (4 feet to 12 feet) ; for conducting business or participate in social interaction.
4. Public - (12 feet to 25 feet) ; keep space between strangers or others we view as potentially harmful. 

 Your treatment of space is influenced by such factors as

- Status

- Culture

- Context

- Subject Matter

- Gender

- Age

- (+) or (-) Evaluation of other person

 Territoriality focuses on your possessive reaction to an area of space or to particular objects.

๑ Artifactual Communication

Artifactual communication is the messages that are human-made. The messages are made by color, clothing and body adornment, and decorations.

• Color Communication - it may influence our psychology and perception behaviors
• Clothing & Body Adornment - it shows by the way you dress, your hair style, etc
• Space Decorations - how you decorate your room or home

๑ Touch Communication 

 The study of haptics indicates that touch may convey a variety of meanings. There are FIVE major types of messages in touch communication.

1. Positive Feelings - feeling of appreciation, support, similarity, etc
2. Intention to Play - communicates your intention to play, either affectionately or aggressively
3. Control - control over behavior, attitudes or feelings to other people
4. Ritualistic - greetings like "Hello" or "Goodbye"
5. Task Related - associate with the performance of some function

Touch Avoidance is the desire  to avoid touching and being touched by others.

๑ Paralanguage

 This channel involves the vocal but nonverbal dimensions of speech. it includes rate, pitch, volume, rhythm and vocal quality as well as pauses and hesitations. EX : yawning.

๑ Silence

 It may communicate in a variety of meanings, from messages aimed at hurting another (silent treatment) to deep emotional responses.

๑ Time Communication

 The study of time communication (chronemics) explores the messages communicated by our treatment of time.

๑ Smell Communication

 Smell can communicate messages of attraction, taste, memory and identification. EX : you smell a dish or something from the kitchen that is very familiar. Your brain will try to find from your memory what is that smell.

Fuhhh. It took me a while to read through about the channels and try to make it as simple as possible. Again, take a deep breath because we have another two subtopics to go. huhu (◕,◕) NOW, moving on~~

Culture and Nonverbal Communication

✏ Culture and Gesture

 Different cultures perceive nonverbal cues, especially hand gestures, differently from one another.

 EX : in Australia, thumbs up are considered as a rude gesture. Waving your hand would be insulting in Nigeria and Greece.

✏ Culture and Facial Expression

 Different culture seems to reflect different attitudes about what reactions are permissible in public rather than differences in the way humans show emotions.

 EX : Broad smiles is inappropriate for Japan women, but women in U.S are more likely to smile openly.

✏ Culture and Eye Communication

 Not surprisingly, eye messages are vary with both culture and gender.

 EX : Americans consider direct eye contact an expression of honesty and forthrightness BUT Japan often view this as a lack of respect.

✏ Culture and Colors

 RED : In China it signifies prosperity and rebirth and is used for festive and joyous occasions.

 BLACK : In Thailand it signifies old age.

 Purple : In Latin America it signifies death, in Europe royalty.

 BLUE : In Iran blue signifies something negative.

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YEAHH! We are DONE! I hope you can understand clearly about this topic as I try to explain it as simple as possible. IF you still don't understand, BETTER HIT THE BOOKS GUYS before it's too late. Literally. Hit your head with the text book. hahaha. I'm just kidding. I don't know whether you guys are laughing or not but I can't stop imagine anyone hitting their head with the book just because they can't understand this topic. hohoho. Well, no heart feelings yaa. Anyway, thanks For Reading!